Once again longtime Hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton was out with her cell phone camera in New York City's Central Park looking for the Monarch of Central Park, Pale Male, and his family. And as usual she was successful in her quest.

5:57PM Pale Male at the Pinetum

7:27 PM Bugsy on enclosure in Central Park at 79th Street.

7:29PMBugsy at enclosure at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. Area closed for construction at the Three Bears Statue.

Next up Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot is back excavating the chest of drawers in the laundry room.

Periodically today I'd hear this dreadful grinding noise

coming from the laundry room. I'd go inside and Silver would trot out from under the chest of drawers, give me a kissie noise, and trot right back under the piece of furniture.

He was using the charming distraction defense in hope I'd forgotten why I came in.

I can play that game.

So I'd say hello and go back to whatever I was doing. Then this evening he was off in another room watching television, so I whipped into the laundry room and pulled out the bottom drawer of the chest.

WOW! He's been making big progress at gnawing himself an easier access to the bottom drawer from the rear.

Of course Silver heard me open the drawer and was back in the room like a shot...

Look at the extremely concerned expression on his face. He's working on a nesting cavity and wants to make sure I've not ruined it in some way. I walked out and evidentally he decided all was well for he soon returned to the room with the television to continue his viewing pleasure. He was watching a DVD of West Wing.

Speaking of viewing pleasure, I've known avid hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton for ten years and she had never told me about the painting her very talented brother had created on the ceiling in her New York City apartment until today.

Pale Male

Note Stella, the photographer in the mirror below.

Pale Male on the right and one of his mates, Lola perhaps, on the left.

Photo D.B.

And last but not least, the native plant of the day.

As many of you know the number of Monarch Butterflies that completed their migration last year was only 15% of the number that had arrived the previous year. Things are not looking good for the species at all. Lack of habitat, wintering grounds, mowed verges, towns which outlaw the growing of milkweed, genetically engineered monoculture croplands, herbicides everywhere which destroy the plants they depend on for successful reproduction...

Photo Donegal Browne

Asclepias tuberosa, Orange Butterfly Milkweed

Monarch Butterflies need to lay their eggs on milkweed. When the eggs hatch the larvae feed on the handy milkweed plant. If it isn't one of the milkweeds the larvae starve and no more butterflies.

If you don't like orange milkweed, there is also pink milkweed, white milkweed, yellow milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Common Milkweed...

When things look dire, as they do now for so many species, instead of getting utterly depressed, we need to do what we are able to do and this is a simple and inexpensive way to make a big difference.

Collect seed this fall, its free. Look up how to treat it for best germination. You can start them in the house. You can broadcast them on disturbed earth to overwinter, on bare ground, on the verges of rustic roads...

Go for it!

Happy Hawking!

Donegal Browne

Sunday, July 13, 2014

6:52PMBeauty mark on chest.Now isn't that fascinating a single dark brown feather? Great ID mark if it remains.

6:55PM Foraging along Fifth Avenue.

Is that the same dark spot on the chest? Is it a dent, a dark feather, or part of lunch?

6:58PM More grub

7:55PM Pale Male roosts on Jackie Os

7:57PM More Pale Male

Part 3 of Sick Little Brown Bat

1:11 PM When last we saw Little Brown Bat he'd disappeared off the top of the bird house and then reappeared head first from behind the bird house. Now he's shifting so his head is down.

1:11:38PM He's scrabbling with his right foot attempting to get purchase on the wood. He seems to be feeling much better after water and food. I begin to wonder if with the trees missing from the storm reducing the shade exponentially and my inadvertent pulling of the weeds in the flower bed whether little bat is getting too hot in his roost these days.

1:15 PM Then he looks to be itching his side with the other foot and gets a lower position for that foot.

1:16 PM Then bat appears to be sleeping.

5:39 PMFour hours later and he's still sleeping and he hasn't crawled onto the bird house looking unwell. Water and food available.

5:40PMDid he shift a little?

5:57PM I bring him a piece of orange in case he likes fruit and he's lowered himself down behind the house.

6:04 PMHe appears to be even lower.

6:15PM I continue to monitor but he remains asleep.

6:16PM Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrives and sits on a branch.

His head shifts slightly. He's watching something.

Yup. And he's watching something that flies.

And off it goes to the south.

6:33PM He's still sleeping peacefully.

7:26PM He's still there napping. I suspect he'll fly out at about 9PM.

8:11PM See the dark spot? He's still there.

9:03PM Too dark now for pictures. He's still sleeping

10:00PM Can't see if he is there or not.

Morning....he's gone!

Well he did fly out and I suspect that now that he feels better he's chosen a new more hospitable roost.